Ticklish
by froda-baggins
Summary: RemusTonks: Tonks is playing a game. Remus isn't sure he wants it to be a game.


Disclaimer: I'm not JK Rowling, and I don't make money from this. Don't sue.  
  
A/N: This started out as fluff, but got a little more angsty towards the end. I hope it's not too incongruous!  
  
Remus returned to Grimmauld Place exhausted, longing for a cup of hot cocoa and an evening with a good book. He had spent all morning working on revising the bill for werewolf rights he had been working on for the Ministry, then all afternoon arguing the bill in front of said Ministry. Public speaking had never been his forte, particularly when faced with the kind of hostility presented by Cornelius Fudge and his lackeys.  
  
The moment he walked in the door, however, all thoughts of a peaceful evening were shattered when Remus was literally knocked to the floor by a flying bundle of energy with bright pink hair.  
  
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!"  
  
"Tonks! What are you-?"  
  
"Oh Remus, are you alright?" She struggled to her feet, then tried to pull Remus to his. Remus merely chuckled, resigning himself to a much more eventful evening than he had hoped for.  
  
"No harm done, Tonks," he said as he stood and began to help pick up the stack of files she had been carrying.  
  
They picked up all the files and Remus led the way into a study with a comfortable sofa. "What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked her, curious.  
  
Tonks shrugged. "I was waiting for you, actually. I mean..." she paused a little, reddening slightly, "I haven't had much chance to see you lately, and I...missed you." She shrugged again, and smiled.  
  
Remus smiled back. If there was one thing he could always be sure of with Tonks, it was that she would be able to lighten his mood. And, he realized suddenly, he had missed her lately, too. "It's good to see you," he said, seating himself and indicating the spot next to him for Tonks to sit. "What shall we talk about then?"  
  
"Something that isn't terribly depressing," Tonks said immediately, plopping herself down next to him.  
  
"Well then..." Remus thought for a moment, "how's your mother?"  
  
Tonks snorted. "Oh she's fine, but I don't want to talk about her either."  
  
"Well you think of something, I've had a long day. I was hoping for a break from thinking for tonight."  
  
Tonks laughed. "You? Stop thinking? Now there's something I never thought I'd hear!" She reached over impulsively and poked him in the stomach.  
  
Remus reacted instinctively, pulling away from her as a laugh escaped his lips. Tonks raised her eyebrows, a gleam starting in her eyes.  
  
"No. Oh no, Tonks, don't..." But she pounced before he could say anything else, tickling him until he couldn't breathe for laughing.  
  
Tonks relented for a moment, and Remus took his chance. He pulled out his wand and before she could react her arms were behind her back, bound magically as if by handcuffs.  
  
"Hey! You can't cast a Restraining Charm! It's against the rules!"  
  
"Rules? What rules?"  
  
"Ummm..." She looked around. "The unwritten rules of the tickle game," she said firmly.  
  
"Oh I see." Remus sat back on his heels. "Well you know, rules are usually made to be broken." He smiled wickedly and began tickling her.  
  
When he stopped for a moment to catch his breath, Remus realized that he was straddling Tonks, pinning her to the sofa. It came to him forcefully that she wasn't some little girl he could just tickle like this. She was a grown woman. The realization startled him, and he blushed, pulling back abruptly. He took the Restraining Charm off and sat back, mumbling an apology.  
  
"Oh Remus, you need to lighten up. I was beginning to think I'd had a breakthrough." Tonks leaned forward impulsively and gave him a peck on the cheek, which only served to make him blush even more deeply. Tonks smiled wickedly. "You know, you're really quite cute when you blush like that."  
  
"Tonks, don't..." Remus said, in echo of his earlier words, but this time they were soft, almost pleading. He didn't want her to flirt with him; he'd never liked it. It was too...superficial. Too much like a game, when his heart was being tossed around.  
  
Tonks must've understood what he was thinking, because her voice changed from the playful, flirting tone to become more serious.  
  
"I'm sorry Remus, I should know not to...play with you like that. Forgive me?"  
  
Remus snorted and turned to look at her. "You know I can never stay mad at you, Tonks."  
  
Tonks smiled a little, and for a moment Remus just looked in her eyes, which, at the moment, were a vibrant, sparkling blue. Beautiful, really. He didn't realize she was leaning towards him until her lips met his, soft and sweet. It was the most intoxicating thing Remus had ever felt.  
  
All too soon, they broke apart. Confusion flooded Remus. What was that? Was it just another game? Once more, Tonks seemed to be reading his mind. She shook her head, smiling a little.  
  
"No, no games this time Remus."  
  
And she kissed him again. 


End file.
